With the advent of cable television networks, cable customers have grown accustomed to receiving a variety of television programming from numerous broadcasting sources. In recent years, technology advances have enabled customers to receive an even greater variety of products and services through cable services networks. Modern cable services networks provide traditional video television programming, telephone services, high speed Internet access, electronic mail services, video-on-demand, information services, and the like. Through the use of set-top boxes (computing systems) cable services providers can provide interactive television services to customers. Such interactive television services allow customers to interact directly with services providers in response to services and product offerings presented to the customers through their personal television sets.
With the increase in the availability of and subscription to various cable services and products, customers require significantly greater access to cable services providers for customer support services. For example, customers often need to contact their cable services providers regarding billing and bill payment issues, customers often desire frequently asked questions, or customers may need contact information for one or more offices/departments operated by their cable services provider.
In a typical setting, a cable services customer must call a general cable services telephone number followed by an extended holding period, or the customer may be transferred to many different offices/departments before the customer receives the desired customer support services. In the case of billing issues, the customer may need to quickly process a billing payment, but is restrained by the requirement to physically mail or hand-deliver a payment to the services provider.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved customer support services method and system that allows for efficient provision of customer support services via a cable services network. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.